Whitley N1436 damaged by flak, returned to Linton on Ouse.
On the night of 27th / 28th May 1940 the crew of this 58 Squadron aircraft were tasked with attacking Cologne and took off at 20.30hrs. This aircraft sustained minor flak
damage but the pilot was able to return safely to Linton on Ouse and land without further incident at 02.50hrs.
Pilot - F/Sgt Louis Frank East RAF (563113).
Second Pilot - P/O Wilfred Surtees RAF (70876).
? - Sgt Rawles
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - LAC East.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Cpl Swadling.
Louis East received a commission on 25th September 1940 (with seniority back dated to 18th September 1940), it seems likley that he completed his Tour with 58
Squadron and was posted to 10 OTU. On 11th October 1940 he was flying in Whitley N1526 which crashed into Akeman Street in Abingdon with the loss of all six airmen in
the aircraft. He was buried in Townshend Methodist Chapelyard, Cornwall, he was twenty eight years old. For his service with 58 Squadron (and possibly with 78 Squadron)
he was awarded the DFM, Gazetted on 22nd October 1940, though no citation for his award has been located.
Wilfred Surtees was later posted to and awarded the DFC for service with 77 Squadron, Gazetted on 14th May 1943. He was later posted to 35
Squadron PFF and made a PoW as a result of Halifax HR878 being shot down over Germany. He was from the Pateley Bridge area of Yorkshire.
Whitley N1436 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 20th November 1939. It was flown into MU storage
until allocated to 58 Squadron at Linton on Ouse in April 1940 but before it arrived at Linton on Ouse it was re-allocated to 97 Squadron on 1st May 1940 who were to
reform at Driffield. 97 Squadron never received any aircraft and disbanded on 20th May 1940 but prior to this the aircraft was re-allocated to 144 Squadron at Hemswell,
this also being a paperwork transfer and an error as the unit was a Hampden squadron. The aircraft finally found it's way to 58 Squadron at Linton on Ouse during the
last week of May 1940. Cat.M/FB damage was recorded after the flak incident as stated above and it was repaired on site and returned to 58 Squadron in June 1940. It sustained
Cat.R/FB damage on 11th August 1940 when, on return from Ops to Frankfurt it ran short of fuel and had a battery problem, the crew diverted to Hemswell where it
crashed on landing. The pilot on that occasion was one P/O L Crooks and it is possible that he was the same man who baled out of a Wellington which crashed at Stonegrave,
North Yorkshire later in the War. N1466 was taken by road to be repaired in works and on completion of these repairs it was issued to 10 OTU at Abingdon. In March 1942 it
was transferred to 1481 TT&G Flt at Binbrook and after a short stay was returned to 10 OTU. On an unspecified date it was transferred to 24 OTU at Honeybourne and
sustained Cat.E2/FA damage on 14th May 1944 when returning to Honeybourne after a cross-country training exercise. The pilot on this occasion opting to overshoot but
with full flaps down the aircraft's engines lost power and a forced landing was made in line with the runway. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair or possibly by
this date it was becoming an obsolete type. This aircraft must have been one of the last Whitley's operating with 24 OTU
as records indicate that by this date the unit were converting to Wellingtons.